Paul questionable so, Griffin's role with Clippers could grow

May 3, 2015

Updated 6:59 p.m.

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The Clippers' Chris Paul, who injured a hamstring in Game 7, looks to pass under pressure from San Antonio's Patty Mills and Boris Diaw, left, Saturday at Staples Center. MICHAEL GOULDING, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Clippers' Chris Paul, who injured a hamstring in Game 7, looks to pass under pressure from San Antonio's Patty Mills and Boris Diaw, left, Saturday at Staples Center. MICHAEL GOULDING, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

HOUSTON – As the Clippers arrived in Houston, they weren’t sure if the team would be whole for the start of the second round.

Chris Paul is officially listed as “questionable” on the Clippers’ injury report for Game1 Monday against Houston.

Paul strained his left hamstring in the first quarter Saturday, leaving the game briefly before coming back to lead the Clippers past the Spurs.

Coach Doc Rivers said the team did get some good news on Paul, but that news hasn’t made anything clearer.

“We did a MRI and that came out pretty well, but I don’t know,” Rivers said Sunday. “We’ll wait until tomorrow and find out.

“… I’m going to be careful. If there’s any risk, he won’t play. I can tell you that right now. I just don’t know yet.”

Paul played in all 82 games this season for the first time in his career, before averaging 22.7 points, 7.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals in the Clippers’ seven-game win over San Antonio.

If Paul is unable or limited, the Clippers will likely turn to Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford to share the point guard duties.

However, from a playmaking perspective, the best replacement might come from Blake Griffin.

“Blake’s a facilitator. If Chris is unable to go, Blake’s our best passer,” Doc Rivers said. “It’s just like when Chris was out last year. We had (Darren Collison), but Blake was the guy who was facilitating our offense.”

While Paul led the Clippers in Game7, Griffin capped an outstanding series with his second triple-double.

In the seven games against the Spurs, Griffin averaged 7.4 assists per game to go with 24 points and 13 rebounds.

“That’s unheard of from the power forward spot,” Rivers said. “It’s a crazy number. He’s that good.”

The Clippers could lean more on Griffin’s passing, though the hope is they won’t need to.

“Our training staff is amazing, the amount of people that we have day in and day out trying to make sure that we’re ready to play. And we’re really about to see what they’re made of now since we’ve got a day and a half, I think, to get ready for Houston,” Paul said Saturday. “… I know my grandmother back in North Carolina is praying right now. She’s praying, and she’ll let my mom pray over it and all that too, and it will be all right.”

Notes

Doc Rivers said reserve forward Glen Davis didn’t suffer from additional swelling in his injured left ankle after playing in Game7. He’s not listed on the team’s injury report. … Rivers said he hasn’t watched film from Game7, heading home to immediately begin watching tape on the Houston Rockets. … After the win in Game7, players and their families watched the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight in the Clippers’ locker room. “Whenever you can get everyone’s family together, it’s nice,” Rivers said. “That was a good touch last night.”

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